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Thread: Mono carts - what we all using?

  1. #11
    montesquieu Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Barry View Post
    "The DL-102 is a monophonic output moving coil cartridge designed for monophonic replay as well as the monophonic playback of stereo recordings.", means that the cartridge will play stereo records without damage, presumably because the stylus can move in both the vertical as well as the horizontal plane with similar compliance figures.
    I think that's what I said. It was primarily designed to turn stereo records into a mono signal.

  2. #12
    Join Date: Sep 2010

    Location: West Midlands, UK

    Posts: 646
    I'm Lee.

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    Quote Originally Posted by montesquieu View Post
    The DL-102 is not really a mono cartridge in the classic sense. It was designed for professional use, playing stereo records on mono AM radio, which of course has a truncated frequency response compared to FM (which is why it doesn't need a full frequency response). It's also a bit oddball in specification having 3mv output (MM equivalent, more or less) but 240 ohm impedance, making it hard to match correctly. (Not that it would sound like a full range cartridge even if you did).

    Bear in mind that the whole point of having a mono cartridge is to have 'true' mono which is picking up only in the horiontal, which means a single coil or standard coils turned round to 90 degrees. Anything else is just the same as hitting the mono button, it helps a bit but often sounds a bit flat. In some (but not all) true mono cartridges, including many vintage ones, the only motion is in the horizontal which can mean it can potentially damage stereo records if you use it with them.

    The AT33 Mono cartridges are true mono and pretty decent, and within budget. The Ortofon 2M Mono likewise (I had the 78 version). I really liked the Lyra Dorian Mono (indeed it's my favourite Lyra) but I think discontinued now. Vintage mono cartridges can be a bit of a risk, both in terms of their weight/tracking force required and also impedance matching as few are MM standard 47 ohm specification.

    I wouldn't bother with most MM stereo-turned-mono cartridges as they are just stereo cartridges (two coils), strapped for mono ie the coils wired together in parallel - compared to true mono you get barely any advantage from doing so. These include Grado, Rega etc.

    Pity the OP missed the SPU Mono GM MkII I sold here recently for £275 ....

    BTW lots and lots of mono discussion over at the Lenco Forum, there's a special mono sub-forum.
    Thanks for the input Tom and some great suggestions. At some point in the future I may go down the SPU route, I did have a look at the Ortofon website which has fueled further confusion, they seem to have an SPU for differing types of mono vinyl playback, the GM MK II is for 25 micron records, then they do one for 65 micron records, I wouldnt know which mono records I have to be honest and does it make much difference?
    Vinyl rig 1 - NAS Spacedeck / FR64s / Lab 12 Melto / Denon SUT / Ortofon GM SPU. Vinyl rig 2 Mono Set Up - Lenco GL75 c/w Jelco 750D / AT33 Mono / EAR 834P Modded. Amplifiers - Audio Note Empress Silver / Hattor Passive Pre. Digital - Fanless Mini PC / Lampizator TRP / Linear PSU / Hummingboard Network audio adaptor. Speakers - Horns.pl Mummy's. Cables are Audio Note / Albedo / Furutech Speaker wire. Power conditioner is a Gigawatt PC2 EVO

  3. #13
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 685
    I'm James.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Henley View Post
    Thanks for the input Tom and some great suggestions. At some point in the future I may go down the SPU route, I did have a look at the Ortofon website which has fueled further confusion, they seem to have an SPU for differing types of mono vinyl playback, the GM MK II is for 25 micron records, then they do one for 65 micron records, I wouldnt know which mono records I have to be honest and does it make much difference?
    LPs are the 25 micron variant, 65 micron is for 78s I believe, equating to 1mil, and 2.5 or 3mil respectively (in old money sizes)

    Edit: yes it makes a huge difference. One benefit of VR11 and similar is that they have rotatable styli so you can change the stylus using a knob on the headshell.
    Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk

  4. #14
    montesquieu Guest

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    Well actually that's where it gets interesting.

    Later mono - as in modern reissues, and mono LPs from about 1960 - have a v shaped groove and narrow groove width as, on the whole they were cut and pressed on stereo gear. Use 0.7mil/17-18 micron tips, fancy stylus profiles can be ok

    Early mono sometimes labelled Microgroove was in use from early 50s, petering out about 1960,but there were older pressing and cutting gear in use till the mid 60s so you get the odd late one. Use 1.0 mil/25 micron tips. Grooves are u shaped and really only spherical tips work.

    78 grooves got smaller over time archivists use a range from maybe 4.0 mil for 1920s stuff to 2.5 in the 1950s (65 micron in Orofon speak) - I have a subset of these options from expert stylus.

    SPUs are divided into horizontal motion only (recreations of vintage ones) and the Mono GM that also has horizontal motion detection but moves vertically too - kinder if you accidentally use it on a stereo record.

    More info on this post http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...522#post888522.

    You need to look at the mono you have - if it's mainly reissues or later stuff you need a narrow tip; if it's mainly older and a lot of great jazz and classical is in this category then you need a thicker tip. Some of us end up with both.

    There's also the whole business of equalisation pre adoption of the RIAA standard but that's another can of worms entirely!
    Last edited by montesquieu; 05-10-2017 at 07:55.

  5. #15
    Join Date: Jul 2011

    Location: Northamptonshire

    Posts: 1,914
    I'm Peter.

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    Or this one .... http://theartofsound.net/forum/showt...=miyajima+mono
    (especially post 23)

  6. #16
    Join Date: Oct 2014

    Location: Lancing W. Sussex

    Posts: 116
    I'm Jack.

    Default AT33 mono, Decca Gold Mono..

    I have Petrat's old AT33 mono (which I havent used yet), but I have played with a worn out Decca Gold which I had retipped and returned to mono by John Wright. In this mode it's tracking ability is much improved - it never was much good in the vertical plane so only having to go side to side suits it. The previous owner of it when it was stereo heard it at my place as a mono cart in a Wilson Benesch Act 0.5 and said he could never get it to track that well before.
    Great resume of what is involved in mono Tom.
    Jack NSM

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